B Cells
B cells are lymphocytes that play a large role in the humoral immune response. They are produced in the bone marrow of most mammals, and represent 5-15% of the circulating lymphoid pool. The principal function of B cells is to make antibodies against various antigens, and are an essential component of the adaptive immune system.
The human body makes millions of different types of B cells each day that circulate in the blood and lymph performing the role of immune surveillence. B cells, also referred to as B lymphocytes, do not produce antibodies until they become fully activated. Each B cell has a unique receptor protein (referred to as the B cell receptor (BCR)) on its surface that will bind to one particular antigen. The BCR is a membrane-bound immunoglobulin, and it is this molecule that allows the distinction of B cells from other types of lymphocytes, as well as being the main receptor involved in B-cell activation. Once a B cell encounters its cognate antigen and receives an additional signal from a T helper cell, it can further differentiate into various types of B cells listed below. The B cell may either become one of these cell types directly or it may undergo an intermediate differentiation step, the germinal center reaction, where the B cell will hypermutate the variable region of its immunoglobulin gene and possibly undergo class switching.
B-cell development occurs through several stages, each stage representing a change in the genome content at the antibody loci. The stages of B-cell development include Progenitor B cells, Early Pro-B cells, Late Pro-B cells, Large Pre-B cells, Small Pre-B cells, Immature B cells, and Mature B cells.
Mature B cells can be divided into four major types:
B-1 cells express CD5, a marker usually found on T cells. B-1 cells also express IgM in greater quantities than IgG. They secrete natural low affinity polyreactive antibodies found in the serum and often have specificities directed toward self-antigens, and common bacterial polysaccharides. B-1 cells are present in low numbers in the lymph nodes and spleen and are instead found predominantly in the peritoneal and pleural cavities.
B-2 cells are the conventional B cells to which most texts refer. They reside in bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes. They are short-lived, and when triggered by antigens may differentiate into IgG-producing memory B cells. In the course of these antibody responses IgG may undergo substantial affinity maturation.
Plasma B cells (also known as plasma cells) are large B cells that have been exposed to antigen and produce and secrete large amounts of antibodies, which assist in the destruction of microbes by binding and facilitating targeting by phagocytes, as well as activation of the complement system. Plasma cells are sometimes referred to as antibody factories.
Memory B cells are formed from activated B cells that are specific to the antigen encountered during the primary immune response. These cells live for a long time, and can respond quickly following a second exposure to the same antigen.
When a B cell fails in any step of the maturation process, it will die by a mechanism called apoptosis. If it recognizes self-antigen during the maturation process, the B cell will become suppressed (known as anergy) or undergo apoptosis. B cells are continuously produced in the bone marrow, but only a small portion of newly made B cells survive to participate in the long-lived peripheral B-cell pool.
In recent years, data have emerged suggesting that B lymphocytes play a broader role in immune responses and are not merely the passive recipients of signals that result in differentiation into antibody-producing plasma cells. Along with their traditional roles as antigen presenting cells and precursors of antibody-producing plasma cells, B cells have also been found to regulate antigen presenting cells (APCs) and T-cell functions, produce cytokines, and express receptor/ligand pairs that previously had been thought to be restricted to other cell types.
B-Cell Disorders
Because of their critical role in regulating the immune system, disregulation of B cells is associated with a variety of disorders. B-cell disorders, also referred to herein as B-cell related diseases, are divided into excessive or uncontrolled proliferation (lymphomas, leukemias), and defects of B-cell development/immunoglobulin production (immunodeficiencies). The majority (80%) of lymphoma cases are of B-cell origin. These include non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and autoimmune related diseases.
NHL is a heterogeneous malignancy originating from lymphocytes. In the United States (U.S.), the incidence is estimated at 65,000/year with mortality of approximately 20,000 (American Cancer Society, 2006; and SEER Cancer Statistics Review). The disease can occur in all ages, the usual onset begins in adults over 40 years, with the incidence increasing with age. NHL is characterized by a clonal proliferation of lymphocytes that accumulate in the lymph nodes, blood, bone marrow and spleen, although any major organ may be involved.
The diagnosis and histologic characterization of NHL is made using a combination of morphologic and immunophenotype criteria. The current classification system used by pathologists and clinicians is the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumours, which organizes NHL into precursor and mature B-cell or T-cell neoplasms. The PDQ is currently dividing NHL as indolent or aggressive for entry into clinical trials. For consistency the present document will also use a similar division. The indolent NHL group is comprised primarily of follicular subtypes, small lymphocytic lymphoma, MALT, and marginal zone; indolent encompasses approximately 50% of newly diagnosed B-cell NHL patients. Aggressive NHL includes patients with histologic diagnoses of primarily diffuse large B cell (40% of all newly diagnosed patients have diffuse large cell), Burkitt's, and mantle cell.
The clinical course of NHL is highly variable. A major determinant of clinical course is the histologic subtype. Most indolent types of NHL are considered to be incurable disease. Patients respond initially to either chemotherapy or antibody therapy and most will relapse. Studies to date have not demonstrated an improvement in survival with early intervention. In asymptomatic patients, it is acceptable to “watch and wait” until the patient becomes symptomatic or the disease pace appears to be accelerating. Over time, the disease may transform to a more aggressive histology. The median survival is 8 to 10 years, and indolent patients often receive 3 or more treatments during the treatment phase of their disease. Initial treatment of the symptomatic indolent NHL patient historically has been combination chemotherapy. The most commonly used agents include: cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone (CVP); cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, prednisone (CHOP); or the purine analog, fludarabine. Approximately 70% to 80% of patients will respond to their initial chemotherapy, duration of remissions last on the order of 2-3 years. Ultimately the majority of patients relapse. The discovery and clinical use of the anti-CD20 antibody, rituximab, has provided significant improvements in response and survival rate. The current standard of care for most patients is rituximab+CHOP (R-CHOP) or rituximab+CVP (R-CVP). Interferon is approved for initial treatment of NHL in combination with alkylating agents, but has limited use in the U.S.
Rituximab therapy has been shown to be efficacious in several types of NHL, and is currently approved as a first line treatment for both indolent (follicular lymphoma) and aggressive NHL (diffuse large B cell lymphoma). However, there are significant limitations of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb), including primary resistance (50% response in relapsed indolent patients), acquired resistance (50% response rate upon re-treatment), rare complete response (2% complete resonse rate in relapsed population), and a continued pattern of relapse. Finally, many B cells do not express CD20, and thus many B-cell disorders are not treatable using anti-CD20 antibody therapy. Antibodies against antigens other than CD20 may have anti-lymphoma effects that could overcome anti-CD20 resistance or augment the activity of anti-CD20 therapy.
In addition to NHL there are several types of leukemias that result from disregulation of B cells. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (also known as “chronic lymphoid leukemia” or “CLL”), is a type of adult leukemia caused by an abnormal accumulation of B lymphocytes. In CLL, the malignant lymphocytes may look normal and mature, but they are not able to cope effectively with infection. CLL is the most common form of leukemia in adults. Men are twice as likely to develop CLL as women. However, the key risk factor is age. Over 75% of new cases are diagnosed in patients over age 50. More than 10,000 cases are diagnosed every year and the mortality is almost 5,000 a year (American Cancer Society, 2006; and SEER Cancer Statistics Review).
CLL is an incurable disease but progresses slowly in most cases. Many people with CLL lead normal and active lives for many years. Because of its slow onset, early-stage CLL is generally not treated since it is believed that early CLL intervention does not improve survival time or quality of life. Instead, the condition is monitored over time. Initial CLL treatments vary depending on the exact diagnosis and the progression of the disease. There are dozens of agents used for CLL therapy. Although the purine analogue fludarabine was shown to give superior response rates than chlorambucil as primary therapy, there is no evidence that early use of fludarabine improves overall survival. Combination chemotherapy regimens such as fludarabine with cyclophosphamide, FCR (fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab) and CHOP are effective in both newly-diagnosed and relapsed CLL. Allogeneic bone marrow (stem cell) transplantation is rarely used as a first-line treatment for CLL due to its risk.
“Refractory” CLL is a disease that no longer responds favorably to treatment. In this case more aggressive therapies, including bone marrow (stem cell) transplantation, are considered. The monoclonal antibody alemtuzumab, directed against CD52, may be used in patients with refractory, bone marrow-based disease.
Another type of leukemia is acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), also known as acute lymphocytic leukemia. ALL is characterised by the overproduction and continuous multiplication of malignant and immature white blood cells (also known as lymphoblasts) in the bone marrow. ‘Acute’ refers to the undifferentiated, immature state of the circulating lymphocytes (“blasts”), and that the disease progresses rapidly with life expectancy of weeks to months if left untreated. ALL is most common in childhood with a peak incidence of 4-5 years of age. Children of age 12-16 die more easily from it than others. Currently, at least 80% of childhood ALL are considered curable. Under 4,000 cases are diagnosed every year and the mortality is almost 1,500 a year (American Cancer Society, 2006; and SEER Cancer Statistics Review).
Autoimmunity results from a breakdown of self-tolerance involving humoral and/or cell-mediated immune mechanisms in. Among of the consequences of failure in central and/or peripheral tolerance, are survival and activation of self-reactive B cells and T cells. Examples of autoimmune diseases include, for example, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus), multiple sclerosis, Sjogren's syndrome, and idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP). The pathogenesis of most autoimmune diseases is coupled to the production of autoantibodies against self antigens, leading to a variety of associated pathologies. Autoantibodies are produced by terminally differentiated plasma cells that are derived from naïve or memory B cells. Furthermore, B cells can have other effects on autoimmune pathology, as antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that can interact with and stimulate helper T cells, further stimulating the cycle of anti-self immune response. Depletion of B cells can have direct impact on the production of autoantibodies. Indeed, treatment of RA and SLE with B-cell depletion therapies such as Rituxan has been demonstrated to have clinical benefit for both disease classes (Edwards & Cambridge, Nat. Rev. Immunol. 2006; Dass et al., Future Rheumatol. 2006; Martin & Chan, Annu. Rev. Immunol. 2006).
Unfortunately, it is not known a priori which mechanisms of action may be optimal for a given target antigen. Furthermore, it is not known which antibodies may be capable of mediating a given mechanism of action against a target cell. In some cases a lack of antibody activity, either Fv-mediated or Fc-mediated, may be due to the targeting of an epitope on the target antigen that is poor for mediating such activity. In other cases, the targeted epitope may be amenable to a desired Fv-mediated or Fc-mediated activity, yet the affinity (affinity of the Fv region for antigen or affinity of the Fc region for Fc receptors) may be insufficient. Towards addressing this problem, the present invention describes modifications to anti-CD19 antibodies that provide optimized Fv- and Fc- mediated activities. A broad array of applications of these optimized antibodies are contemplated.